The Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL) has vowed to take legal action against Liqhobong Diamonds Mine if it does not consult it over plans to retrench some of its members.
The union accuses the mine of disregarding the Code of Good Practices, 2003 and the Labour Act, 2024, which stipulates that workers’ unions must be consulted on matters affecting their members.
IDUL’s threats come after Liqhobong Diamonds Mine last week held consultations with employees, without engaging the union, as is required by the law.
In an interview with theReporter this week, IDUL chairperson, Clarke Letsie, indicated that companies were required by law to involve the union in discussions about potential redundancies or retrenchments before engaging the employees.
Letsie accused Liqhobong of holding consultations with employees last week on August 20 and 21, leaving the union out.
He said the union’s aim is to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and that any changes to their employment are made in accordance of the law.
“The union is the voice of the workers. When jobs are on the line, it is essential that we are involved in discussions about their future and their benefits including severance pay, provident fund and bonuses should it get there. Without our input, workers are left vulnerable to exploitation and unfair treatment,” Letsie pointed out.
“The Code of Good Practice explicitly states that employers must involve the union in all consultative meetings with employees. When this process is ignored, workers are denied protection and advocacy that the union provides.
“It is crucial that employers respect and comply with these regulations to ensure that workers are treated fairly and their rights are upheld,” he added.
The Labour Act, 2024 was enacted by parliament in January 19 this year with the purpose of providing a comprehensive framework for regulating the employment relations, promoting fair labour practices and ensuring the welfare and rights of both employers and workers.
Letsie said over 50 percent of the 800 employees at Kao Mine were IDUL members while less than 50 employees of the 600 at Liqhobong Mine belong to the union.
The two firms have announced that they might lay off some of their workers due to poor performances caused by low prices of diamonds on the international market.
“These companies announced possible retrenchments. We’re expecting a meeting with the management at Liqhobong to address workers’ issues as well as to recruit more members. We’re gunning for more than 50 percent of the workforce,” he said.
He added it was only on Wednesday this week when the two mines responded to the union’s request for meetings, on dates yet to be set.
Efforts to get comments from Liqhobong Mine were fruitless. The company’s human resource officer, Lerato Makara, referred this publication to “management” whose phones rang answered.
Liqhobong and Kao Mines, two of Lesotho’s four biggest mines, announced recently that they were facing a serious cash crush due to low diamond prices.
According to the companies, low prices, a sharp rise in manufactured diamonds, a week Chinese market, and overstocking by diamond cutters, polishers and wholesalers had contributed to operational challenges.
Some Liqhobong Mine employees told theReporter that the company informed them in a meeting on Tuesday last week that they should expect possible retrenchment or a shutdown.
They said there was also a possible reduction in shifts, from the usual three to only one.
